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Joshua Derold Huckabay

March 18, 1985 ~ February 11, 2000

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

A special thank you to my Brother David. He gave the eulogy in celebration of Josh's life.  I truly believe that Josh spoke to him while he was writing the eulogy.  He had it almost done when he crumpled it up and started all over again. At that point the words began to flow! 

JOSHUA WAS A VERY PERCEPTIVE YOUNG BOY, STANDING ON THE EDGE OF MANHOOD, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ALMOST 15 YEARS OLD HE WAS MENTALLY BETWEEN 3 & 6 YEARS OLD.  I KNOW THAT IF HE WAS HERE RIGHT NOW HE WOULD FIRST (POP THE BALLOON) THEN HE WOULD WALK UP TO EACH AND EVERYONE HERE IN THIS ROOM AND TAKE HIS OUT STRETCHED ARMS AND WRAP THEM AROUND YOUR BODY, LAY HIS HEAD AGAINST YOUR CHEST AND SAY "I'M SORRY & I LOVE YOU!"

JOSHUA WAS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF HIS LIFE FULL OF LOVE, FULL OF JOY AND FULL OF HUMOR & WITH EACH PASSING YEAR THAT LOVE, JOY AND HUMOR CONTINUED TO GROW. BUT PARTS OF JOSHUA STAYED THE SAME AND DIDN'T GROW.  JOSHUA ENDURED 15 SURGERIES IN HIS BRIEF TIME HERE WITH US WHICH SEEMED ONLY TO MAKE HIS LOVE, HIS JOY AND HIS HUMOR STRONGER. ALSO, WITH EACH PASSING YEAR THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AND HELPERS IN HIS LIFE, CONTINUED TO GROW. I DIDN'T FULLY REALIZE THIS UNTIL THIS TRAGIC EVENT.

JOSHUA HAS BEEN LIKE A PEBBLE THAT IS DROPPED INTO THE STILL POND, WHICH CREATED THE RINGS. RINGS OF HELPERS, RINGS OF FRIENDS, RINGS OF DOCTORS, BUT MORE SO RINGS OF LOVE, RINGS OF LAUGHTER, AND RINGS OF HOPE. JOSHUA WAS A POND OF LOVE AND WITHIN HIS RINGS ARE ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TODAY, YOU ARE JOSHUA'S "RINGS OF LOVE!!"

JOSHUA LOVED HIS SUPERHEROES, BATMAN &  ROBIN, THOMAS THE TRAIN, WOODY & BUZZ LIGHT YEAR, BUT THE GREATEST SUPERHEROES WERE MOM FOR HER NEVER ENDING LOVE, PATIENCE AND DEVOTION, AND UNCLE PERRY & AUNT DENISE WITH THEIR LOVE, UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT!  

JOSHUA PROBABLY WOULD THINK OF YOU ALL AS SUPER HEROES, COMING TO THE AID OF THE UNDERDOG. BUT JOSHUA WAS A SUPERHERO IN HIS OWN RIGHT TOO!!  HE WOULD COME TO THE AID OF AMANDA WHEN I OR OTHERS WOULD TRY AND PICK-ON OR WRESTLE WITH HER, AND HE WOULD TRY AND SAVE BRAN (BRANDY) FROM THE AGGRESSIVE DOMINIQUE.  HE WAS TRULY A GALLANT KNIGHT THERE TO PROTECT HIS GIRLS. EVEN CALLING OUT TO FELICIA OVER NEW YEARS EVE "COME MY PRINCESS."  YES, JOSHUA WAS A CASANOVA IN HIS OWN RIGHT, ASKING SEVERAL TO MARRY HIM.

JOSHUA WAS A LOVER OF ANIMALS AND COULD MAKE THE SOUNDS THAT THEY COULD.  HE LOVED TO PLAY THE GAME WHAT DOES THE _____SAY AND WOULD DO SO FOR HOURS.  (DO THIS) EVEN WHEN SHOPPING AT ALBERTSON'S OR K-MART HE WOULD SOMETIMES BARK LIKE A DOG OR OINK LIKE A PIG THE WHOLE TIME JUST FOR FUN.  AS YOU KNOW HE ALWAYS WAS CARRYING SOMETHING WITH HIM, A HORSE, CAR, TRAIN, DIANASOUR, DOLL, UNICORN, OR OTHER STUFFED ANIMAL.

ONE OF JOSHUA'S GREATEST SUPERHERO ABILITIES WAS HIS KEEN SENSE OF GOOD AND (NOT SO GOOD) ESPECIALLY WITH HIS CAREGIVERS, AND HE LET THEM KNOW. JOSHUA ENJOYED LEARNING AND LOVED FIELD TRIPS. HE HAD THE GIFT OF HUMOR WHETHER PLANED OR JUST GREAT TIMING HE COULD MAKE THE WHOLE CLASS LAUGH, AND MORE THAN ONE PERSON HAS WONDERED JUST "WHO WAS TEACHING WHO?"

I'M GOING TO BE A LION TOMORROW... PERRY JR. ANDREW WOULD ASK JOSHUA TO TELL THEM WHAT HIS DAD LOOKED LIKE?  HIS ANSWER WAS HE LOOKS LIKE BATMAN, YES ANOTHER SUPERHERO.

VICTOR WOULD TAKE JOSHUA TO THE ARC, THE ARCADE/ALADDIN'S CASTLE. JOSHUA LOVED GOING THERE PLAYING THE GAMES HE COULD GET IN OR ON, THE RACE CARS, AND THE MOTORCYCLES.  HE ESPECIALLY LIKED TO PICK OUT A TOY!!!  

JOSHUA LOVED TO BE OUT SHOPPING, WHETHER IT BE AT THE STORES OR GARAGE/HOUSE SALE-ING WITH ROSE.

THERE WAS ALSO A PERIOD WHEN HE TRIED TO PLAY RHONDA AND DENISE LIKE A FIDDLE SAYING "I'M GOING TO TELL RHONDA ON DENISE-- AND I'M GOING TO TELL DENISE ON RHONDA" BUT THEY CAUGHT ON TO FAST AND TOLD JOSHUA THAT THEY THOUGHT HE SHOULD. HE DIDN'T LIKE THAT!

ALSO LIKE YOUNG GROWING BOYS HE LOVED THE GREAT COOKING OF RHONDA AND DENISE, HE LOVED MILK, CHEESE AND HE LOVED PICKLES.  MISTAKENLY ONE DAY HE BIT INTO A JALAPENO AND AFTER THAT WHEN HE SAW A JALAPENO HE WOULD SAY "THAT'S NOT A PICKLE!"

JOSHUA WOULD DO ANYTHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE, HIS IMAGINATION WAS ENDLESS, WITH JOKES, SOUNDS OF TRAINS OR CARS OR ANIMALS, TO JUST BEING JOSHUA (IN A DINOSAUR SUIT, OR PUMPKIN SUIT, OR COW SUIT, HE TRULY LOVED HALLOWEEN.) 

JOSHUA WAS A LOVER OF MUSIC AND WOULD ALWAYS BE READY TO DANCE. HE WOULD SAY "WANNA DANCE MOM?" 

SOMETIMES IT TOOK A SPECIAL LITTLE SOMETHING TO GET JOSHUA TO DO HIS WORK OR HIS CHORES.  HIS BATTERIES MUST HAVE BEEN LOW, BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO WIND HIM UP--OR PUSH HIS BUTTON OR TURN HIM ON AND THEN HE WOULD BE HIS ROBOT SELF AND DO HIS TASK.

I AM ROBOT

JOSHUA ALSO WOULD GET TIRED OF SCHOOL AND PEOPLE AT TIMES, AND WHEN HE THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH, HE WOULD PUSH YOU AWAY-OR SAY "YOU LEAVE OR I DON'T HAVE SCHOOL, I HAVE K-MART." YOU MIGHT EVEN GET FIRED AS DID BOTH RHONDA AND DENISE - YOUR FIRED!!

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR, HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE?  UP ABOVE THE WORLD SO HIGH, LIKE A DIAMOND IN THE SKY. TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR, HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE?

WELL HE DID IT!! WE'RE ALL FIRED AND THOSE RINGS, WELL THEY'VE MADE IT TO SHORE AND THE POND IS STILL, ONCE AGAIN.  AND AS MUCH AS HE LIKED TO GIVE AND GET THOSE HUGS, WE'LL HAVE TO SAVIOR THEM IN OUR MEMORIES UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN IN HEAVEN!

BEFORE JOSH PASSED AWAY WE NOTIFIED THE DOCTOR THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DONATE JOSH'S ORGANS. SOME WHERE OUT THERE, SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL HAS JOSH'S CORNEAS. SAVE A LIFE AND BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR, CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW!